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The Ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo

I am looking to book on DFDS Seaways for an overnight ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo and wondered if anyone has made the trip. There is an option to order food (dinner and a buffet breakfast) and I wondered if the food was decent. We are heading to the Fjords upon arrival and any insights on making that leg of the journey would be appreciated.

Took the ferry the other way - from Oslo to Copenhagen - in early Sept. Apparently the water between the two can be some of the roughest in the world. On our trip -- as soon as e left the shelter of the Oslo fjord the "ferry" - an 11 level gigantic cruise-type sip - but full of cars and truck as well as passengers - started bouncing in all directions. We had started dinner at this point and within about 15 minutes at least 3/4 of the diners had left. I an my companions were deathly ill until a double dose of dramamine took hold - them I could just lay on my bed and groan - until we got back in the shelter of land.

If you are an excellent sailor in very rough seas and not subject to motion sickness - go for it. Otherwise I would consider other options.

We took the ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo 5 years ago in May. Did not eat dinner because we brought food, but breakfast was wonderful. They had an unbelievable smorgasbord with all the traditional fixings, which I could appreciate being of Danish decent.

We did not prepay and I remember thinking that it was a bit pricy. After arriving for breakfast, ask to be seated where you will have the best view of sailing into the fjords. It was a breathtaking view. We both felt that the food and view were worth much more that what we paid.

We did not have rough waters and had a cabin which was wheelchair accessible. Plenty to do onboard before bedtime.

The Baltic Sea is usually calm, at least calmer than the open oceans and especially in summer. An exemption can be the region near Oslo where Baltic and North Sea meet (tip of Denmark/ Skagen).
But in general, the numerous ferries across the Baltic Sea are very normal public transport connections, taken by tens of thousands of people each year and a very very far cry from being "only for the brave".

That was precisely our problem -- I believe the Skaggerack. Oslo fjord was very calm. I understand the rough waters are most common in the fall. And yes - if you are in either sea it's not usually a problem - but this area was just unbelievable. You had to hold onto the walls to walk - and they closed the elevators since they can get stuck if the ship is bouncing too much.

I will be in Copenhagen in May, and was thinking about this ferry to see the fjords and other scenery, as well as a visit to Oslo. Is this a time when the seas are rough? Will I get to see enough "scenery"and suggestions on what to see in Oslo? Thanks!

No one can foresee the actual weather conditions though rough seas are more the norm in fall and winter. And not in May.
I would not see the passage as massively scenic except for the final bit up the Oslofjord.
As the distance from Copenhagen to Oslo is quite long, overnight sailings are the usual way to go. The ships are usually huge and offer cruise ship style entertainment and different type of accomodation.
If you don't feel comfortable with taking the ship you have many flights between the two cities and the rail connection via the Öresund bridge and Southern Sweden.

We took the trip last June with our 8 & 10 year old daughters. It started out wonderfully. We had two rooms with balconies and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. We ate good dinner at the restaurant on board (we had made a reservation in advance). However, at around 1am the seas woke us to incredibly rough waters. We tried to calm the kids and not get sick ourselves for the entire night. Of course, it eventually calmed after several hours when we were closer to Oslo. I'm not sure if this was unusual and if we were just unlucky. I couldn't even look at a ship for days! Of course without the rough seas, it would have been wonderful. I was hazy in the morning, but I think they delivered breakfast to our rooms.

As a Norwegian, I've done the trip at least some 30 times down the years. The two latest trips in 2010 and 2011 were extremely nice, great variety on board, several fine restaurants including the traditional buffet and lots of places to relax and take in the views.